Saving Graces
by TypeWriter11
Summary: Everyone knew it; Jackson Teller was a womanizer at a ridiculous all time low. He needed something, someone to be his saving grace. And he needed it bad.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Complete AU. I am like, totally obsessed with Sons of Anarchy, right now. More so, with Jackson Teller, because come on, it's totally a given. This was written on a whim, and I'm going to try updating as often as I can. I hope you enjoy! Read, and review please!

Disclaimer: I don't own these ridiculously fine gentlemen, although I really wish I did.

* * *

Chapter 1: The Avalanche

_It was cold in the room, freezing at the temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit, but the two under the blankets never noticed. One shuffled, pulling the other closer to him as he moved slightly to pull the thick fleece blanket over their bodies. The girl in his arms shifted, turning to face his front as he held her. Lazily, Jackson Teller left a kiss on her forehead, relishing the soft touch she gave him as she sleepily pressed a kiss of her own to the junction of his neck and shoulder. As the vibration of his pre-paid phone woke him up entirely, Jax reached out to turn off the alarm, separating him from his lover. _

"_Babe?" she murmured softly. Tired brown eyes blinked up at him causing him to let out a chuckle. "Is it time already?" _

_A nod and another kiss to the mop of brown hair on her head, he pulled on his jeans and shrugged on a SAMCRO t-shirt. "Yeah, darlin'," he whispered as he toed on his boots. "I've got to get going. I love you." _

_The girl before him smiled sleepily, reaching out to rub a hand soothingly on his lower back before cuddling deeper into her pillows. "Okay, be careful baby; I need you. I love you."_

"_I'll see you soon, Em."_

* * *

He didn't shoot out of bed; it wasn't a nightmare. When his eyes opened sluggishly, Jax Teller pulled at the short wisps of his blonde hair.

Nice dreams don't become any _sort_ of reality for guys like him. Nice dreams just stayed as nice dreams. But fuck if he didn't want it to come true anyway. It was just a dream though, so he wasn't going to give it any thought.

Blue-gray eyes scanned the darkness before falling onto the red lights of the alarm clock plugged in on the drawer next to the bathroom. _3:15AM._

"Three?" he grunted. "Well, shit."

Jax pushed the cotton sheets off his body, looking around stiffly at the disorganized dorm room. His blue-gray eyes landed steely on the picture frame that gleamed brightly against the moonlight. A frown marring his pretty boy features, Jax slowly shrugged his way off the bed and made his way across the room to pick up the frame.

He chuckled grimly, staring at the picture of him and the woman who used to be his old lady, laughing happily. He remembered that there was a time when he actually was able to smile, and laugh, and not force it. She left though; afraid of the club, and what it could do to him, what it could do to _her_.

It wasn't for the lack of trying, either. Tara had all but begged Jax to go with her to San Diego where she was accepted for college. She wanted change, she wanted a safer life; and he couldn't blame her. As much as he wanted to keep her from leaving, Jax knew that she had the right to have all of that. Tara deserved the world, and more.

More than what he could give her.

* * *

_Tara glared at him, tears burning the edges of her eyes. In her hands, she gripped the acceptance letter from UC-San Diego tightly, crinkling the sheet with no remorse. "Why?" she asked beseechingly. _

_He ran a hand tiredly through his shoulder length mop of blonde hair. He couldn't look at her, so he decided to take a seat at the edge of her bed. A part of Jax wanted to go with her—to run away from everything and anything that could stand between him and the love of his life. Then, another part of him wanted to make her stay with him, where they could tough it out, and fight whatever it was that could ruin them. _

_Nimble fingers traced the white stitching on her black cotton comforter, blue eyes shifting across the room. He took it all in; the green paint that he vaguely remembered helping her paint on the year before. He looked at the L-shaped desk that she asked him to put together two summers ago, when they were unsure of how their relationship could be defined. He looked at the plethora of photographs she had taped to her wall; a few of him and Opie when they were asked to be prospects only two years ago, him and Tara on their first date right after he was sponsored into the club. _

_Jax sighed and slowly turned his gaze to face her broken one. "Why?" she whispered sadly. Tara moved to kneel in front of him the crinkled letter placed next to her on the floor forgotten. Her soft pale hands smoothed over his calloused ones. "Jax," she started, the soft grip becoming tighter, "We could start over! No more of this gun smuggling, bad reputations, no more wondering about whether or not we'll be alive tomorrow. We could leave this toxic place and move on! Why won't you?!" _

_He pulled his hands out of her grip and ran his knuckles against the side of her cheek before turning his hand to cradle the right side of her face. "Since I was five, Tara," he said, "Since I was five, all I wanted was a damn SOA cut and a Harley, just like my old man. Since I was five, Tara, all I wanted was to be a Son! I was just patched in, darlin'. I can't just bail_ _now! I can't just leave all my brothers behind…my mother! They're all I have, baby. This cut, this brotherhood…this family and this fucked up reputation is all I have!" _

_Having heard enough, Tara pushed herself off of the carpet with a screech of anger and pain. "You have me, Jax! Me—your girlfriend, your damn old lady! What about me? Did I just suddenly become some expendable croweater? Some—some skanky ass sweetbutt you decided to waste your year with before you got patched in?!" _

_He looked at her hurt, "Seriously? I never slept around on you. I never touched another woman, but you, for the entire four years we've been together." He shook his head at Tara, hurt that she would think he was capable of that kind of betrayal. "I love you! I could never do that to you!"_

"_Then come with me, Jackson!" _

"_I can't!" he screamed, ready to pull at his hair. He wasn't prepared for the sudden silence that followed. He wasn't prepared for the question that came after either._

"_You can't or you won't?"_

_The question was softly spoken, barely heard in the heat of their argument. It was only then did he realize that he didn't know the answer to that question. "I—I…I don't know." The broken look on her face told him everything he needed to know. She wasn't going to ask again, and he wasn't going to say yes to leave. The vibration of his pre-paid phone pulled him from the conversation. With a sigh, Jax ran a hand over the scruff of his beard. "Look," he grunted, "we'll talk about this later. I've got to get to Church." _

_Jax slowly made his way over to her, kissing her forehead gently as his hands came to rest at her hips. "I love you," he said softly. Tara nodded and placed a hand on the worn leather of his cut. She fingered the Redwood Original patch blankly before giving a kiss to his lips. He hated it; seeing her look so subdued. _

"_Yeah, we'll talk later," she conceded. With a small shove out the door of their apartment, Tara sent him out of their little cozy home, and to the club she was desperately trying to get him to leave. "I love you, too."_

_He left with one longing glance over his shoulder as she closed the door. He left for the clubhouse, not realizing that when he would return the discussion he intended on finishing would never be finished._

* * *

"She left," he grunted angrily to no one. "She left and she didn't even say good-bye."

He didn't hear the footsteps rounding up to his room, and he didn't hear he creak of his door opening. Jax was simply lost in the darkness of his room, staring blankly at the photo he held in his hands.

Gemma watched her son with regret and ire as she leaned against the frame of the door, arms crossed under her bosom. "Oh baby," she spoke softly. Slowly, Jax turned to face his mom, standing still with the picture frame in hand. His eyes were red, swollen and angry looking. She knew he wanted to cry; he would if he could, but he had no more tears to let out.

They stood like that for a few minutes. Him, staring forlornly at his mother, regrets and hurt seeping into every pore of his body and her, looking on sadly at her son, not knowing what to do, or say.

"Hey, Ma," Jax called out tiredly. Gemma, thankful for some response, smiled at her son. "What are you doing her so late?"

Gemma shrugged and moved to sit at the edge of his bed while Jax finally set the picture down, opting to shrug on a plain white t-shirt over his pajama pants instead. He went to sit on the floor next to her four-inch stiletto heeled black leather boots. Gemma ran a comforting hand over his head, fingers grazing his short hair.

"Church after-party, baby," she reminded him. "Party is almost over, and I didn't really feel like leaving tonight. I came up to check up on you; Clay's having another round with the boys downstairs."

He nodded, but didn't care. Jax bent his knee; the flat of his right foot resting against the floor while his left lay stretched out. He rested his elbow over the knee and let his arm hang lazily at his side. "Cool."

When Gemma looked at the edges of the picture frame, she noted he flipped it over, the light of the moon shining over the back of the frame, clasps holding the photograph in it gleaming brightly. "It's been six years," she remarked dryly. Her hand never stopped the light petting of his head, and Jax never bothered to stop her. "Jackson, you're twenty-five years young. You've been running toe and hide out of this damn place coming in and out with croweater after croweater. Son, when you said you were getting over her, this was not how I'd hope you were doing it."

He shook his head, "I tried Ma, so damn hard. Booze, weed and pussy, booze, weed and pussy—there's not much left for me to do to get over her. I can't just _forget her_. Spent four goddamned years with her, Mom. It ain't that simple."

Gemma let out a snort and flicked his ear, smirking slightly when she heard him hiss at the contact of her sharp nail. "You can; but you don't want to. I'm tired of this damn downward spiral you've locked yourself into. Yeah, kid, Tara was a great girl, but she wasn't cut out for this life. You know what that means?"

Gemma didn't bother to wait for a reply, and carried on when she saw that he was going to. "It means, she wasn't cut out for _you_. "

"This _life_," he muttered darkly. "This _life_ sucks without her."

"It ain't her that's sitting in a dark room, moping about losing her first love, Jax. It's _you_. The way I see it," Gemma said pointedly, "Tara's moving on from you. She left you, didn't bother to wait to tell you before she made her decision. Up and left, baby, like a woman who didn't have anything to tie her down. It's time to move on, Jackson."

There was truth to her words, she knew it, and Gemma made sure her son was listening to hear it. She watched his face contort into obvious displeasure at the harsh reality she was serving him. As a mother, she hated any pain her son had to go through, and she hated anything, and anyone that made him go through it too.

"It's not that simple," he repeated begrudgingly.

Gemma heaved a sigh and leaned down to press a kiss atop his head. She patted him on the shoulder twice before using him as leverage to get herself standing. "It _is_ that simple, baby," she called out over her shoulder. Her fingers grasped the brass knob and twisted it, pulling the door open and letting the loud music sweep its way into the room. "And if it's not that simple, _make it_."

* * *

It was ten in the morning when Jax made his way out of his dorm room, freshly bathed. He made his way down the hallway from the dorms as he slipped on his SAMCRO tee.

"You're a fucking douchebag," Juice laughed at Tigger as the man shrugged with a cheesy grin. They were sitting at the bar, mugs of warm shitty coffee in hand. Jax raised a brow as he shrugged on his cut when he turned the corner. He nodded to the two as he walked up to the bar to pour himself a cup of coffee. He did it mechanically; two creams, two sugars.

As he turned to lean against the wooden bar, Jax forced himself to clear his head of Tara's memory. "Tig a douchebag?" he snorted with good humor. "Tell the world something we don't know about this fucker."

"Hey man, it ain't my fault panties drop when I walk by. Bro, I'm not a douchebag. I'm fucking _God," _Tig drawled gleefully. He took a sip of his coffee, and pulled at his beard. "Besides, I am in my prime, brothers. I ain't getting any younger, and those tight pussies ain't either."

Juice chortled mid-drink; coughing up some of the sweet coffee he made himself. Jax shook his head with a laugh and took a long swallow. "Yeah, man; you are a total fucking douchebag."

The sound of the clubhouse doors opening made the three look up from their pointless conversation, eyes trained on the Queen of the Sons Mother Charter. Gemma smirked slightly, petting Juice's and Tig's head before pressing a chaste kiss to the cheek of her son. "Boys," she chuckled, "having another competition to see whose dick is bigger, I see."

Jax gave a cringe; his mom was so shameless when it came to sex sometimes. It put him in a mildly awkward position as he took finished his beverage. "Ma," he whined half-heartedly. "Just…No."

She snorted and raised a perfectly shaped brow at him. "Honestly Jackson, it's not like I haven't _seen_ you before. I wiped your ass and changed your diapers for _years_ before you decided to use the potty like a big boy."

Tig giggled and also finished his drink before pulling out a cigarette from his breast pocket. Juice simply shrugged eyes widening slightly at the lame teasing of mother to son. They could both tell though, that Gemma had a lot to say, and a lot on her mind when she eyed them cryptically.

Tig let out a puff of smoke, deciding to kick the stool back slightly as he swung a muscular arm around his brother. "Juicy boy and I are gonna finish our _big dick competition_ outside," he grinned playfully. "But shit, you know I'm gonna win." The Latino balked slightly as he let his SAA steer him towards the Teller-Morrow lot.

"Jesus Christ," he muttered as they exited the bar. "Tig you're disgusting."

The glass door creaked shut, and Gemma turned to face the son that was pointedly staring into the empty cup. Jax looked up at his mom, and then back at the cup, only to groan when he noticed that she hadn't turned away. "Shit, Ma! What _now_?"

Gemma Teller-Morrow didn't crack under any type of angst her son expressed. Out of habit, she leaned against the bar, eyeing and picking at the imaginary dirt that crawled its way under her fingernails. Jax watched his mom warily, unsurprised when she looked up at him.

"Did you give my little lecture any thought, baby?"

He let his head fall back lazily, a thick hand running through the blonde mane of his. "Ma, that was six hours ago. Miracles don't happen overnight."

She shrugged her shoulders and let an elbow rest on the countertop. With her head placed daintily in the palm of her hand, Gemma gave him a pointed stare. "I didn't _ask_ you if you were over her, son. I asked you if you gave my suggestion any_ thought_. Big difference, smartass."

She was patronizing him, but he hadn't really cared. "You made your point, Mom. I gotta get over her. I get it."

"And are you?" she questioned smugly. "Are you going to at least try to get over her?"

"What do you think I've been trying to do?!" he grumbled sourly, dropping his empty cup into the sink behind the counter.

"I think you've been trying to drown yourself in so much beer and pussy you haven't seen the light of day in five fucking years, brother!"

Mother and son turned to the door; Gemma cackling in amusement while Jax brooded next to her.

Having arrived only minutes prior to entering the clubhouse for his shift at the repair shop, Opie grinned at his brother while moving from the entrance towards his surrogate family. "Hey Mom," he nodded, pressing a kiss to Gemma's cheek. Gemma cradled Opie's face as he did, patting his cheek affectionately when he pulled away. Opie moved behind the bar to pour himself a cup of shitty coffee that his brothers had before him before grinning widely at Jax.

"Hey baby," she crooned.

"Sup fucker," Jax groused, crossing his thick arms over his broad chest. Opie shook his head, scratching his beard slightly.

"You just mad that I hit the nail dead on," came the playful, but very much serious retort.

"Fuck you," Jax grunted, not knowing what else to say. Gemma watched her two boys bicker slightly before interrupting.

"Jackson," she fussed. "Opie's right, baby. I just want you happy again, son."

Opie nodded in agreement. "Brother, we all do. We've seen you, happy before Tara, and shitfaced miserable without her. We're tired of the latter; we miss who you used to be—_how _you used to be."

Blue eyes gazed tiredly at the pair that never left his side. Begrudgingly, Jax knew they were right; he never denied that. But, he had no clue how he was going to do what they asked. With a sigh, he unfolded his arms. He rest a hand against Gemma's back as he pressed a kiss to her temple, then giving his brother a fist bump.

"I know guys," he huffed, making his way to the TM lot. "I want to be happy too."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Complete AU. You all have blown me away! The reviews, favorites, follows; I really can't thank you enough. I can only hope you continue to enjoy reading this fiction as much as I have writing it. Please continue to read, review and all of the above! Thank you!

* * *

Chapter 2: Family Ties and Landlines

When Clay sent him and Opie to Tacoma on a protection run a day after his talk with his mother, Jax knew immediately that the Tacoma charter would host them with all the beer and sex he could imagine. And as much as he wanted to get over Tara the "right way", whatever way that was, Jax was glad that the services from the Tacoma charter would be given anyway.

For three days, they spent their time in the strip bar. Black paint was starting to chip slightly as random tables were set up around the room, the leather couches surrounding the stage. Time was spent with Jax inhaling beer after beer while Opie made sure his brother didn't get himself into any situation in his drunken stupor.

With regret and odd angst, the giant man watched as Jax had taken a liking to a junkie stripper. Luscious was her stage name, but Wendy Case was her real one. All she really did was bitch, moan about her troubles and get down on her knees; something Jax was almost prone to attracting. He was a magnet for disastrous affairs. There was something though, that had put Opie off about Wendy, and he couldn't for the life of him figure out what it was.

Opie watched the two from across the room as he languorously took a drink of his beer, finishing it in two big gulps. With a quick wave of his hand, Opie called Logan, the bartender, to him. He asked for another beer and nodded towards Wendy. "Who is that gash?" he questioned. His gut told him something was amiss as he watched Wendy lead Jax to an empty back room, Jax following numbly with slow, dragging steps.

Logan looked up as he wiped the sticky counter top. Catching the familiar set of sky-high red stilettos, and messy blonde curls turn the corner to the dorms, he gave a snort. "Wendy? She's a croweater, bro." The answer was straightforward and painful to hear as Opie turned to face Logan. "She's nothing else but easy pussy and a crank-whore to boot. Easy lay, easy lay, easy lay."

Letting out a low whistle, Opie set down his drink and leaned against the newly cleaned surface. "Yeah? How long she been here?"

He received a half-hearted shrug as Logan reached down to open a beer bottle for himself. After a long pull and a grateful sigh, Logan set his own beer aside. "Not that long; traveled from _Reno_, riding bitch with Lief-y Green," he chortled. "Touched down in the Tacoma clubhouse two days ago, but when your boy showed up, Wendy clung to him like superglue. Lief didn't care—was happy to get rid of her in favor of Candy."

Opie snorted and cackled happily. "Shit, man. I don't even think Jax realizes that he's banging a crank-whore."

"Well," Logan grunted smugly. "Watch out for that one, man. That bitch is trouble. Capital T and all."

* * *

"_I'm telling you," came the soft melodic call across the room. Jax followed his grumbling stomach and sniffing nose to the kitchen to find his girlfriend walking back and forth in his kitchen. She had the landline cradled between the blade of her right shoulder and ear, laughter reverberating around the tiled room. "Donna, Opie's gonna be excited! You've got nothing to worry about sweetie." _

_He leaned against the entrance, arms folded across his torso as he tilted his head. He took in her brown wavy locks tied into a messy bun atop her head, and the way his SAMCRO tee lifted itself just a tad bit higher when she tried to reach for the pepper that was placed on the highest shelf of the kitchen cabinet. He was definitely a leg-man. He watched with great mirth when her five foot one frame continued to struggle as she talked to his best friends' wife. _

"_I got it, Em," he said finally with a chuckle. Jax pushed himself off of the frame, a strong hand resting at the small of her back as he reached for the pepper for her. He pressed a kiss to her lips, handing her the condiment as she gave him a deeper, longer kiss in thanks. _

"_Morning baby," he huffed, slightly out of breath. His Old Lady giggled and pecked his lips again. Calloused hands moved, one to cradle one side of her face, the other moving to rest comfortably at her hip. _

"_Morning indeed," the brunette crooned softly, forgetting that her best friend was on the line. "Thank you, handsome." _

* * *

Jax woke up with a small jolt of surprise. He heaved a sigh; another dream, another day, another time to simply want for nothing.

He wasn't paying attention too much; only that he stuck to one pussy, and a few bottles beer. Jax had his arm around the sleeping girl next to him, as he smoked a cigarette, lying back against the headboard of his dorm room.

He looked down at his chest, not feeling anything as he watched the steady breathing of the woman that occupied his bed for the past three days. Being with her wasn't anything special. Average in bed, average smarts; strippers as per usual. Jax let out a small groan of discomfort as he moved hiss shoulder.

Deciding to get up, he pushed the dead weight off of him, and reached for the jeans he left laying on the floor. In a rush, Jax packed his nonexistent belongings quietly, leaving the history of his nights' drunken debauchery behind as he shut the door.

When he stepped out of the dorms, he first took in the silence of the clubhouse. He saw Opie through the clear glass doors as he prepared his saddlebag for the ride home they would begin within the hour. He exited the dungy room and nodded to his brother, moving to sit on the cool leather of his Dyna after he finished strapping up his possessions.

"Hey," Jax huffed, pulling another cigarette out of his box. Opie nodded and tied the last of his belongings to his bag. "When do you wanna go?"

His best friend snorted a reply, "Whenever you feel _sober enough to ride back_."

Jax glowered at Opie jokingly and pushed his shoulder. "You asshole."

Opie chuckled and turned to face Jax, leaning against the seat of his own Harley. Arms crossed, Opie looked at Jax with critical eyes when he asked a loaded question. "You…you all right, brother?"

Jax shrugged, "Why wouldn't I be?"

With a deadpanned expression, Opie seemed to lean back further inspecting his friend. Jax, for the most part, looked weary. Weary in every sense of the word. He was sure his friend was forged with some kind of memory of Tara everywhere and every time, especially when he went looking for a solution at the bottom of a beer bottle, and inside some unsuspecting bitch.

His blonde hair was matted with sweat from the previous nights transgressions, the stench of stale beers and cigarettes clung to the threads of his clothes. His normally bright blue hues seemed to be darker with desperation and gloom.

Opie sighed inwardly and shook his head. He didn't know how to save his friend when he'd never seen him so unhappy before. He was beginning to wonder if his brother would ever survive this. Five years of endless alcohol and pussy was driving Jax into more trouble than anyone knew how to deal with.

"You know, man," Opie said tiredly, "I don't know."

Opie's reply was curt and not in the least bit confusing; Jax knew what his friend was trying to get to—the conversation he had with both Opie and Gemma constantly in his thoughts. Jax nodded though, ignoring Opie's disappointed stare. He swung his leg over the seat of his bike, trying to get comfortable as he strapped his helmet on, Opie doing the same. A quick nod passed between them as Jax pulled out first, Opie following closely behind.

* * *

"Oi, Ja-a-a-ckie boy-o! Ope! How was Tacoma, boys?!"

The young man grinned widely as he pulled into the Teller-Morrow lot, Chibs waving wildly from the row of Harley's at the front. Juice and Tig sat next to him, engaged in idle conversation about what superhero would be best to join the Sons of Anarchy.

"Oh, shut _up_!" Tig groaned, casually leaning against the railing next to the bikes. "Captain America is a little shit head, just like you." Juice snorted and crossed his own arms as he leaned on the railings next to Tigger.

"No way man, your _Thor_ is the shit head; what, a fucking hammer? Cap don't need that shit—all power bro."

"Fuck yeah, a fucking hammer," Tig groused, glaring at the newest patch. "He can bust your damn head _open_!"

The returning Sons parked their motorcycles with practiced ease, engines shutting off with the fast turning of a key. "Seriously?" Opie laughed thunderously. "Superheroes? You're outlaws, not five year olds."

"Oh," Chibs groaned slinging a tattooed arm over Opie's shoulder while Jax moved to stand next to them. "That, my boy, is very questionable." The Scot moved to reach for Jax, pulling him under his arm, gripping the two men tightly under his wings. "Save me, boy-oh's. For the love of the good Graces, shoot these two morons while you're at it!"

Juice and Tig yelped angrily in indignation, although knowing their brother was only kidding. Opie and Jax laughed in return as the five moved to head back into the clubhouse.

As they all took occupancy near the bar, laughing and joking around as if nothing was wrong, Jax took a moment to himself. _This family is all I have_, he reminded himself, thinking back to his argument with Tara long ago. _And I'm pushing this all away._

He nodded to himself in affirmation, before joining the arbitrary conversations.

He made a promise to himself as he laughed when Tig reached over to slap Juice upside the head; no more of that—no more pushing his family away.

* * *

Three weeks after the run found one Jackson Teller under the hood of a beautiful 1967 Impala, doing routine maintenance. Grease and oils from the car clung to what used to be a clean white shirt, and his mechanic jumpsuit. He didn't know who the owner was, but he knew definitely that they took very good care of this beauty. He closed the hood once he was done tuning its engine and quickly wiped his hands on the rag attached to one of the belt loops of his suit.

Moving to open the driver's-side door, Jax leaned forward and turned the key in its starter. He grinned widely as the engine roared to life, purring loudly and beautifully in thanks. Slowly, he backed out of the car, and crossed his arms over his chest proudly. "Listen to her sing," he smiled, patting the roof of the black car with glee.

Gemma leaned against the doorframe, smiling slightly as she watched her son fix the Impala. She was glad to see him smiling again, happy with the familiarity of not seeing a frown, but a smile on his face, made her happy.

"The owner is gonna be here soon, Jax. Wrap it up. Besides, we got Church in an hour!" she heard Clay call out from the garage. Jax's head snapped up, the strict order not falling on deaf ears. He quickly moved to park the car in the garage for the finished fixes before neatly putting away his tools.

With a calm around him, he waved a good-bye to Clay and the rest of the men on garage duty as he walked back to his dorm room, shrugging off the dirty ensemble on the way away. He rushed up to his room, ripping off his shirt and chucking his jeans into the corner.

When he made his way to the bathroom ready to clean the dirt and grime from the day off of him, he heard a knock at the door. Just as quickly, the knock turned into the door bursting open.

He turned, dropping the fresh linen towel he reached for onto the floor in surprise. Wide blue eyes met brown hued tones in surprise and ire when he realized who stood in front of him.

"Sack, you little shit," he growled. Half-Sack swallowed the pool of saliva that gathered at his throat.

"Oh, shit," the prospect whispered in slight fear. Quickly turning around, he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Jax growled and decided to jump into the shower anyway, the water heating up nicely. He left the door to the bathroom opened slightly.

"What is it?" he grunted, letting the water sooth his tired muscles from the days work.

"I—uh—oh-ho, shit," Half-Sack stuttered. At Jax's impatient yell to hurry up, Half-Sack scrambled to get his bearings together. "Church was pushed up to now. Something came up!"

With a loud groan in annoyance, Jax speedily rinsed off the rest of the soap from his tight-muscled frame. In less than five minutes, he toweled off the stray beads of water, slipping on his clothes and leather cut. He toed on his sneakers after hastily slipping on a clean pair of socks before he scrambled out of the room, intent on making it to the meeting. A typical swagger followed his every move into the chapel, greeting brothers with a charming grin, as he took his seat at Clay's left.

"So, what the hell happened?" he asked, getting to the point as he lit up a cigarette.

Clay grunted. "Damn Mayan's, that's what fucking happened. Stole the Niner's purchase, the rest of our stock, then blew up our goddamned warehouse and Tig's tacos!"

Piney rolled his eyes and Bobby let out a small giggle while the rest of his brothers looked on curiously at Tig.

"Tacos?" Opie asked as a grin spread across his face. He had a feeling he knew what Clay meant. Bobby chortled.

"This fucker couldn't help it and stuck his damn dick into the illegal Latin pussy we had working at the warehouse," Clay glowered. The men nodded expectantly at Tigger's expense before Jax groaned in frustration.

"Your DNA is in the fucking system, bro! What the fuck were you thinking?!" Jax freaked. "They find those bodies, you're done. They place us at that factory. _SAMCRO_ is done!"

At his age, Tig wasn't taking a liking to Jax's berating and slammed his fist on the table, suddenly feeling like he was five again, getting caught for stealing cookies from the cookie jar. He couldn't help himself though, as he gave Jax a sour grin, "I was thinking that my dick couldn't wait to get wet. Fresh from the boarder, man." Tig cackled softly at Jax's annoyed expression. Yeah, he really didn't want the club to be in deep shit, but it was already done. Not much he could do at that point. All he could do was try to get them out of whatever mess they were in.

When Clay gave him a pointed stare, Tig relented. "Fine; I didn't know that those damn wetbacks would fuck up our deal, bro. I've got Trammel helping with the disposal right now. Gonna head up there to help burn the bodies."

Nods of approval went around the room and Clay's voice echoed throughout the room. "Whatever your dick decides to do, it better clean up this fucking mess first. Get rid of the spicy tacos now. I'm gonna try do some damage control." The gavel pounded, and Jax stubbed out his cigarette. Murmurs of all the possibilities were discussed as Clay moved to pull Jax aside.

When he opened his mouth to speak, the generic ringtone of a pre-pay went off. Clay saw it was his and answered it, his angry expression turning to a furious one. A grumble from his throat ended the call as the phone clapped shut.

Heatedly, SAMCRO's President threw the temporary phone onto the floor, flexing his arthritic hands when he exerted too much power. Clay ran a hand through his grayed hair and with a toss of his head to the left, Jax followed his stepfather out the door.

Tig yelped in surprise when Clay slapped him hard on the back of his neck. Tightly, he pulled Tigger with him as they left the clubhouse. A loud whistle called the attention of all members as they trained their eyes on the President.

"Party's over. We've got thirty minutes to get rid of those bodies. Looks like we've got Hale smelling up our asses too."

They all rushed to their bikes, Tig swearing constantly as he readily put on his helmet. He peeled out of the lot, suddenly feeling a whole lot more guilty and worried about the club than he was earlier. Bobby and Chibs shared a look of worry and concern as they revved their engines.

"Hey Clay!" Bobby roared over the motorcycles as the brothers began leaving. "Did Trammel get the bodies out at least?"

Clay frowned, and shook his head. "Man was able to catch the order to head out to the scene when he turned on his extra radio tuned into San Joaquin." When he turned the handle on his Harley, his baby sang. "Thirty minutes, brother. Thirty minutes."

* * *

"Crap," Gemma drawled with narrowed eyes seeing her men leave in haste. "What the hell is going on?" She could only wait with angst as she took a seat in the office chair.

Idle hands fixed the already neat desk before fixing them again, finding another way to file the already organized papers. It was only five minutes of anxious waiting when a knock sounded on the office door. She looked up to see a short, petite woman smiling brightly at her.

Gemma's quick beating heart calmed slightly when she saw the familiar face. "Hi, Em," she grinned.

* * *

With a groan, Jax ran a hand through his matted hair. "Took a shower for nothing," he frowned tiredly. He watched from his perch on his Dyna next to Opie as the rest of the brothers surveyed the area, Tig and Chibs carrying the burnt carcasses far out into the forest where the prospect had dug a grave for both of the women.

Opie watched his brother from the corner of his eyes and scratched at his beard absent-mindedly. "So," Opie started when he and Jax moved to watch for Hale and his henchmen. "You enjoy Tacoma?"

Jax let out a snort and lit up, taking a slow drag from his cigarette. "What do you think? Booze and pussy," Jax laughed without humor. "S'all a man needs."

"Whatever man," Opie said dryly. He kicked the dirt under his shoe. "Just hope you wrapped your shit up; high traffic zone is all."

The men laughed, a slight weight lifted from their shoulders. It wasn't long before silence engulfed them again, waiting for the rest of the Reaper Crew to return. It was Jax who broke the silence. "Honestly," Jax started. Opie shifted from foot to foot before leaning back against his bike. There was a feeling in the air that Jax would suddenly feel the need to purge. And he was right.

Jax gave a heavy sigh. "I don't know, man. It's like; everything I ever thought about working toward in the past five years, always involved Tara. _Always_. And when she left, shit hit the fan, and I hit…well, everything else."

Opie nodded in understanding and cleared his throat. "I get that. If Donna were to up and run with the kids, I honestly don't know _what_ I'd do. Probably go through pussy and beer just like you." At the lazy push from Jax, Opie felt himself sway slightly.

"I know Gemma's right," Jax admitted. "But if I start to move on, I have to face that she really _isn't_ coming back. And that's the shittiest part."

"Change isn't something you should be afraid of, brother. Tara's not coming back; hasn't been back in the past six years, and she won't come back later. _That's_ the shittiest part, man. Realizing that your first love is not supposed to be your _only_ love sucks the most."

Subdued, Jax nodded solemnly. He was about to comment, but the round of bikers scrambled to them, Clay motioning for them to start their bikes and head out. Jax only shook his head, and swung a leg over the bike. Fastening "Gemma's told me to tell you that she's making a dinner tonight. Said to bring your wife and kids when you come."

Opie nodded in understanding as they watched their brothers' head back to the bikes. "Will do man."

As Opie revved the engine, Jax slapped him on the shoulder, "Thanks, man."

"No sign of 'em?" Chibs questioned tiredly. Jax and Opie shook their heads no, as the men waved their appreciation to Trammel, who leaned against his squad car, tired and frustrated. Clay grunted, only nodding in approval while he started to head down the back road leading to the safe cabin not far from there.

"Chibs, Tig, Bobby," Clay called out, "Follow me to the cabin; we're gonna create our alibi. The rest 'uh ya, back to the clubhouse!"

While a small group of brothers headed to the cabin with Clay, Jax led the others back to the dorms. And as he traveled down the rough, gravel-laden road, Jax had an epiphany. He looked over to Opie who nodded encouragingly, as if he knew what his brother was thinking.

It really was time for him to forget Tara.

It was time for him to move on; the right way.

Change was going to welcome him when he got home.

And he'd accept it.

* * *

Marie Romero grinned at the familiar nickname. "Hey Gemma; my baby ready yet?"

A gentle laugh was pulled from the glossy lips of the Queen Bee. "Yeah; finished it a while ago."

"Too bad; I wanted to give Clay a thank you for fixing up my girl for no charge." Marie smiled as Gemma stood, easily picking out her keys when she spotted the little island key chains. She pressed a kiss to the soft tanned cheek, patting the spot afterward. Marie laughed softly. "You guys should let me pay for _something_ one of these days, you know."

Gemma shrugged with a lazy grin and crossed her arms under her ample bosom. "You've got a good head on your shoulder's sweetheart; like one of my own I tell you. You're not gonna pay for anything that don't cost much here, sweetheart. But what's this thank you, do you have planned for my Old Man?"

Bringing her full frame into the blue painted office, Marie set a basket of home made sweets and confections onto the table. "Made them this morning before I came over. You guys can share them, toss them out; whatever you want. It's my gift for the amazing free service I'm sure you guys did for me."

Brown hues stared into another pair as the older woman assessed the younger. She knew Marie was new to Charming, only moving in two blocks away from her own humble abode. She welcomed the small Filipino girl into town with her own box of delicious treats, embracing the outgoing, delicate, but hard-headed personality the girl had to offer.

She decided then and there, that Marie would be her honorary daughter, one way or another. Clay liked the girl anyhow; wouldn't do much to get him to agree to protection of her newfound friend if she needed it.

Gemma reached into the basket, plucking a wonderful scented M&M cookie-brownie. With a moan of delight, Gemma smiled. She was impressed. "I'll be sure to hide them from the rest of the boys—too good to share honey, and I wanna be greedy."

Marie gave a tinkling giggle, and waved a good-bye as she headed to the garage when she spotted her car, vaguely noticing the row of Harley's entering the lot. "I'll see you, later, Gemma! Thanks again!" She smiled gratefully to the workers, taking a break by the benches under the shade, settling herself into her car once she had it unlocked and started.

Gemma watched the girl leave the office coming to terms with what about she was going to do. Clay wouldn't mind what she thought; neither would her boys, she'll be sure of that. "Em, hold up!" she called out.

Curiously, Jax's head turned around quickly at the name and Gemma wondered why. As far as she knew, those two didn't know the other existed. Filing his reaction away for now, Gemma waved at Marie to wait before rushing slightly to the Impala. She hadn't noticed, however, when Jax's ocean gaze landed on the brunette, eyes widening in the slightest of fractions.

Gemma rested an arm against the shiny roof of the car, leaning down to grin at the driver. "I've got a dinner, sweet girl, and you should come. Be at my house tonight by six; you don't gotta bring anything. See you later, darlin'!"

She smiled with a perfectly shaped brow raised at Gemma's retreating back. In true Gemma Teller-Morrow fashion, she left no room for discussion to her invitation, hips swaying sexily back and forth as she made her way from the garage back to the office.

Gemma had a feeling that tonight was going to be a good night.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: So, I love all of you. Seriously. Seeing your reviews, favorites and follows made me squeal like a school girl! I hope you enjoy this chapter greatly, as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Disclaimer: I don't own them. Que very, very, very sad face.

* * *

Chapter 3: A Dance With the Devil

The minute he heard his mother yell her name, he wasn't sure what to think. He didn't even know what to do. He didn't know what to think either. All he wanted was to see her.

Jax's gaze followed Gemma's brisk walk to the Impala, and grinned inwardly. Of course, the car he was working on happened to belong to some girl that shares the same name with someone from his dreams. Only, he wasn't so sure coincidence was the case when he saw a familiar tiny brunette Asian woman, smiling up widely at Gemma. He hadn't seen when Opie followed his gaze to the same girl.

He knew he never saw her outside of his dreams before, and seeing her for the first time in reality threw him off. Were his dreams a premonition? Or did they really meet somewhere and he didn't know? Fuck Jax watched as the girl waved a good-bye to Gemma as she began to slowly peel out of the TM lot. He ignored the laughter coming from his brothers as they chatted randomly.

It was like he was moving in slow motion, walking stiffly to the TM office hot on Gemma's heels. He felt his body drop onto the blue couch, legs stretched out in comfort as they crossed at the ankles. He stared at her, eyeing her in confusion.

"You wanna tell me what crawled up your ass, or do I have to slap some sense into you?" Gemma snapped smartly. Remembering that she knew nothing about his recurring dreams, Jax forced himself to calm down. He moved to scratch the back of his head awkwardly.

"Just wanted to let you know Ope and his family is coming to dinner tonight," he covered. His odd attitude already tipped her off. In hindsight, he should have thought it out; how could he ask his mom for information on a girl whom he had no clue about?

A snort followed his reply and Jax rolled his eyes when Gemma narrowed hers. "That it? Stomp into my office to tell me Opie and the Brady Bunch is coming to the house for dinner?" He eyed her warily, arms crossing over his chest as if to deflect any poke, prod and jab she made of him. Gemma grinned haughtily and crossed her own arms under her breasts, her index finger pointing at him accusingly. "I bet," she started smugly, giving a small flip of her hair, "that you really wanted to get the 4-1-1 on that little number that drove out of here in that Impala!"

"NO!" He choked on air that he breathed in when he gasped. His strangled reaction told Gemma all she needed to know as he complained. She raised a brow and crossed her arms over her chest. He knew it was pointless to fight, and gave up with lackluster. "The fuck did you _know_!?"

A familiar cocky grin was shown his way, "Mothers know all and see all, honey. _Totally_ saw you checking out that girl when I called her from halfway across the parking lot. You little shit; thinking you can pull a fast one on _me_!" Gemma cackled in merriment as Jax rubbed his face with embarrassment. He could feel the tips of his ears burning with a blush, his cheeks turning a nice shade of pink.

As if it wasn't enough to see her son blushing for the first time in forever, Gemma cackled to herself, turning the office chair to face her desk as she pretended to work. "She's coming to dinner tonight," she mentioned calmly when she saw him march to the door. "Wear something nice, won't you Jackson?"

He groaned and left the office, waving her off as he shuffled back to the clubhouse. "Crazy woman!" he shouted humorously.

Gemma rolled her eyes, but stood up and walked to the door. She grinned widely when she saw the men were still outside by the bikes. Perfect. "First impressions are _everything_, baby! Dress nice tonight; hot date!"

"Ma!" he yelped. Turning around, he couldn't stand to see Gemma's Cheshire grin. "Jesus H. Christ," he muttered under his breath.

The men stared inquisitively, quiet as they watched Jax shake his head, humiliated. Chibs was the first to speak while Opie grinned.

"Aye lad, you got a _date_? You were so far up croweater pussy I didn't even know if you remembered what a date was!"

A round of loud laughter came from the group of Sons. Jax shrugged off the playful arm Tig through over his shoulder, pouting. "Jackie Boy, you been holding out on us?" Tig grinned salaciously.

Jax shook his head but didn't comment until Opie jumped in. "Alright, alright, you shitheads. Let the Prince breathe." Jax sighed thankfully; about to thank Opie out loud until his friend gave a Cheshire grin of his own. "He can't be too nervous for his date tonight!"

"Fuck you!"

* * *

This bitch was really starting to get on her nerves.

For the thousandth time that night, Gemma glared at the blonde croweater who dared to talk back to her. Hands clenched in a white-knuckle grip, Gemma perched them on the toned curves of her hips. Her lips were pursed into a thin line, eyes just begging the girl to argue one more time. The croweater glowered back but kept her mouth shut and turned around to finish setting up the dinner plates just as ordered.

Satisfied, Gemma moved and turned to finish setting up the dinner table. She hadn't expected the men to be on time, but was very surprised when she heard the telltale roar of SAMCRO headed her way. When the club parked at the front, loud footprints echoed throughout the quiet neighborhood. It was only 5:45PM when the door opened, the familiar light playful banter reaching her ears. She wiped the imaginary dirt from her clothes when she greeted them.

Tig greeted her with a kiss to each cheek as the rest of them hugged her in gratitude. "Mother Gemma," Tig grinned affectionately when the greetings were over. "When's dinner starting?"

Clay huffed as he let himself fall into the seat next to Gemma as she stood. "Soon, you fat ass," he answered for her. "Stop asking." The brotherhood laughed loudly as Tig pouted slightly.

"Grumpy bitches," he frowned jokingly. "I need 'uh beer."

Blue eyes scanned the room for the brunette he'd seen earlier, but felt disappointed when the only brunette he saw was in a pair of blue stilettos and a skirt too short to be considered tasteful. Jax shook himself out of a stupor though, reminding himself that he had no reason to be disappointed at all. What he didn't know, he didn't _have_ to know. He was just curious.

"And curiosity killed the cat," he admitted to himself. He felt the need to get out of the room; the busybodies of the croweaters and the Queen, along with the Sons starting to make him feel slightly claustrophobic. He didn't notice Opie follow him out though, a little curious on his own. Jax took a long pull from the beer he grabbed from the cooler before he went out.

He stayed quiet when Opie pulled up a chair next to him though. His brother smiled slightly, "So, what's this about a date?"

Jax rolled his eyes out of habit and shrugged his shoulders. "No date man, Ma's just…wedging her foot up my ass again about getting over Tara. She's just playin'."

His brother grunted then hummed, giving him a lazy shrug of his own. "Hmm, nah man, I call bullshit." He was ignored until he said something else that had the cat jump at the bait. "Besides," his baritone voice continued. He recalled the girl from the lot that caught Jax's attention. "That girl from TM today looked like she was pretty sweet; got that girl next door vibe going on."

Jax didn't know what else to think, but really, he knew he should have seen that one coming. Gemma and Opie could read him like the back of their hands, and that was with the lack of trying. Jax could never hide anything from the two before. It was silly to think that he could start now. "Exactly; she shouldn't be having dinner with a bunch of bikers and their women. It's not…shit's not kosher."

"Fuck kosher, brother. You seem to be head over ass for her and you don't even know her name."

Without thinking, and relying on his dreams, Jax started to talk. "Her names Marie; likes to be called Em though. She's short, not a stick, and has a neurotic dog she keeps for company. Moved here for a job opportunity teaching chemistry at the local high school." Opie hadn't said anything yet, so Jax powered through, sparing him a daring glance. Telling him the truth sounded crazy enough that Opie would probably think it was all a lie. He shrugged inwardly; can't bite him in the ass later if he says this shit now anyway. "Dreamed about her before I even met her man. Shit's whack."

Opie blinked, and blinked again before taking Jax's beer. He downed the rest of the half-filled bottle. "Do you have any idea of how much of a pussy you sounded like just now?"

"Why are you such an asshole?"

* * *

Marie fingered the metal zipper of the leather jacket that was keeping her warm. As she toed random patterns onto the welcome mat she stood on, she pressed a cautious finger to the doorbell. It wasn't long until someone pulled the door open.

A round man stood in front of it. He had stringy gray and black hair, and a lumberjack beard. She giggled inwardly, as she dared to picture him in a red plaid shirt with thick brown work boots and blue worn jeans. She quickly shook herself out of that thought, and smiled brightly, "Hi, I'm Marie, Gemma invited me tonight."

Lumberjack smiled and leered at her. "Well darling," he drawled. The robust man began to lean smugly against the door. "If Gem didn't invite you, I would have just now. Ain't you _pretty_?"

"Aha," she laughed sheepishly. "Sorry Lumberjack, that won't happen. It's nice to meet you though."

The bearded man laughed loudly, throwing his head back as he swung an arm around her shoulders. He pulled her to his side and gave her a quick tight hug as he led her to the living room where everyone was waiting. "I'm gonna like having you around."

As they turned the corner into a crowded room, Marie smiled and gave him a nudge to his stomach. "Now, Lumberjack, I don't know if I should be thankful for the comment, or worried."

"Knowing Bobby Elvis, sweetheart, you're gonna have to do _both_."

Hearing Gemma's voice, the tiny woman turned around quickly, giving the mother-like figure a quick hug. Marie handed another basket giving Gemma a knowing look. "More treats like the ones from today, because I _know_ you probably weren't kidding about hiding them from the guys." The older woman gave her a calculated once over before resigning with a nod and what seemed to be a proud smirk.

"Smart bitch," she praised earning a laugh from Marie and a chuckle from Bobby. He grabbed the basket of baked goods from Gemma's hand, earning him an eye roll. Gemma sent the older man off to join the rest of the men with the slightest wave of her hand as she pulled the fresh meat under her wing. She hugged Marie tightly to her side, "Come on, baby," she grinned widely. "I'll introduce you to everyone."

As she walked complacently next to the Queen, Marie took note of the abode she was invited to. The pristine gleam of the white marble tiles gave the home a welcome sophistication as it clashed wonderfully with the tan walls of the foyer. She saw many flower arrangements filling every carefully picked vase, in strategic places.

She smiled as she saw photographs line the entry to the living room, spying a group of men in front of classic Harley's and a few of two children who seemed to have no cares in the world. "Lovely home, Gemma, truly," she happily stated as they entered the living room. Gemma shrugged her shoulders with a sly grin.

"It's me, baby; do you really think I'd have it any other way?" Gemma only pulled the girl along as they finally reached the rest of the crowd. "Hey everybody shut up!" The noise of chatter seemed to come to a small stop, as she entered the room. Gemma nodded approvingly. "This is Em; be _nice_. Em, this is SAMCRO."

She smiled; alternating between nodding and waving to each person she was introduced to. The men, she noticed sported the same leather vest with various patches decorating the chest. On the back, a reaper pointed with its scythe held close, the name of the charter stamped proudly above and below it.

The sliding door leading to what she guessed to be a backyard patio opened slightly. The first man walking in was tall, and compared to her; he was a giant at best. He too had his SAMCRO cut on, his reddish brown hair brushed back from his face, and his graying beard reaching to nearly the top of his chest.

The second man that followed though was a few inches shorter than the first, blond hair and blue eyes cutting straight through the crowd, and to her. He had a blank face as he looked at her, though she noted it was fixed to some degree with shock. She grinned at the two when Gemma introduced them.

* * *

"Fucking _Christ_," he murmured to himself as he and Opie shrugged their way into the Teller-Morrow home. Opie moved to wedge himself next to his dad who was already sipping on a crystal of tequila. Almost immediately, he noticed the air change. He didn't even have to look around before he found himself staring right into the familiar gaze of a stranger. His stranger.

She had brown shoulder length hair in gentle smooth curls. As far as he could tell, she wore no make up, but her dark brown doe eyes stood out anyway. Under her leather jacket, she wore a simple black tank top, over maroon skinny jeans tucked into a pair of knee high black Chuck Taylors. He noted she wasn't the skinniest, but she definitely had a nice set of curves to her name.

He stoned his features, taking in her bright friendly smile. Gemma had soon let go of the guest, leaving her to fend for herself. Quickly, Tig saddled up to her side, pulling her to sit on the armrest of his chair. "So _Em_," Tig smiled cheekily as he looked up at her. "That just the letter, or does that stand for somethin'?"

She laughed and shook her head, "No, Tigger, my name is Marie. Em is just a nickname."

Opie raised a brow and looked over his shoulder to Jax who only rolled his eyes and took a pull from his bear. Piney sniffled a little, and cleared his throat as the alcohol made its way down to his stomach. "You're new around here," he stated rather than asked. When Marie nodded, it was Opie who took over the questioning.

"What do you do? Like, why'd you move?"

Her gaze was thoughtful, but filled with pride as she took her time to answer. "I recently graduated from college; got my degree in forensics with a minor in chemistry. Worked in the field for a bit before deciding to teach chemistry. My old college professor actually got me a job here; said they were trying to fill up a position for a year."

Opie nodded thoughtfully, and tugged lightly at his beard before sending a curious stare to his brother. "Holy shit," Opie mouthed to his brother. Jax could only shrug his shoulders; he couldn't deal with Opie's questions when he was busy trying to ignore the fact that Tig was trying to cozy up on his girl. When Tig reached for her hand, he frowned. Chibs and Opie were the only ones noticing Jax tense from across the room, following his gaze to a laughing Marie, and Tig pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

Gemma walked back into the living room live with chatter and laughs as the men grilled Marie to the bone. The young woman took each question with stride, even giving a bit of her own playful banter. She smiled, glad that the new addition was fitting in nicely with the roughest men of Charming.

"Dinner's ready, everyone. Let's go eat!"

* * *

Marie smiled at Jax who sat next to her at the table. While everyone engaged in their own mindless chatter, Jax had taken to simply eating his food and keeping quiet. "You know," she whispered jokingly, leaning to his side ever so slightly. "It's interesting that you're probably the most quiet of them all."

Jax stopped shoveling food into his mouth long enough to give her a look over his shoulder. Swallowing his mother's amazing lasagna, Jax lifted a brow, a smirk fighting its way through as he stared into her eyes. All night he'd stayed quiet, letting everyone else have a piece of her while he tried to figure out what to say, to ask, as if he didn't know her. He knew though, that no matter what he'd say, if he started talking first, he'd say something to make himself look like an asshole and an idiot all together.

"Not quiet," he smiled. "Just biding my time. Didn't think you'd want more questions on top of dumb ones from the Inquirers over here."

Her musical laughter had his heart beating just a little bit faster. "I suppose that's a good enough answer. I'd only hope that you weren't sick of me already."

Marie was pleasantly surprised when Jax had shaken his head and leaned back in his seat. He gave her a genuine smile. "Never darlin'," he whispered. "That would never happen."

His words sent just as much of an electric shock through her system as his gaze did. Although she had no clue why, Marie enjoyed the sensation as much as possible. It was nice.

She was about to reply to him when Gemma had pulled out the basket she had brought over earlier. Gemma grinned when hands flew into the basket, moans of happiness and surprise coming from the mouths of the men as they ate the brownies and cookies Marie had made. "Shit's good, huh?"

Jax had reached into the basket to pull out a sugar cookie. Biting into it, he saw her nervous frown. He smiled, "You make this?" He made out the slightest nod of her head and made a show of giving a happy groan as he took a bite into it. Marie giggled when he went so far as to throw his head back and close his eyes. "This is _amazing_."

* * *

Thirty minutes later an alarm had taken Marie and Jax out of their small conversation about her new job as her phone rang from her pocket. She smiled sheepishly as she pulled out the device, turning off the alarm. She cleared her throat and shrugged her shoulders, waving a good-bye to him as she moved to hug Gemma from her seat next to Clay.

"I'm sorry, Gemma, I've got to get going," Marie said sadly. Jax's eyes never left her short frame as she hugged his mother.

Gemma frowned, "Seriously? It's only eleven!"

Clay shook his head at his Old Lady and snapped his fingers before drumming them on the table. He smiled at Marie understandingly. He opened his mouth to say something until Chibs had spoken up instead. "Aye, Gem," he called out patronizingly from the other end of the table. "Little Em has got _school _in the mornin'. She's gonna miss her bedtime."

Marie rolled her eyes at the older man and placed a hand on her curved hip. "Knock it off," she joked in good spirits. Turning to Gemma she nodded, "He's right though. I've missed my bedtime by a good two hours. I have to be at the school at 6:00AM for a quick orientation before I can set up for my class and all that jazz. I'll call you later though, meet up for a late lunch or dinner tomorrow."

"All right, baby," Gemma nodded conceding even though a frown marred her face. She raised a hand to pat Marie's face affectionately. "Drive home safe."

Bobby's ears seemed to choose that moment to tune in, and it was at that moment he decided to speak loudly too. "You drove here? I didn't see no car when I got you at the door."

Marie shook her head, "No, I didn't drive. It's only a quick fifteen minute walk, and I didn't want to waste gas."

Jax gave a sour glower from his seat. The thought of something happening to her had frightened him deeply. His dream girl had suddenly become a reality he was afraid to lose, and he didn't want to chance it. Not with the Mayan shit hanging over their heads. "It's still unsafe to walk home so late at this time of night," he huffed. Standing and ignoring the knowing smug looks from Opie and Chibs, Jax patted his KABAR in reassurance as he pushed in his chair. "I'll take ya' home darlin'."

He saw the reluctance in her eyes; she didn't want to bother anyone. Yet, when she looked at Gemma and Clay's pointed gaze, she knew she had no say in the matter. With the slightest nod of her head, Marie smiled tentatively, "Okay, yeah. I'd appreciate that."

* * *

"You've got some balls to want to walk home alone this late at night. Peaceful or not, Charming's still dangerous," Jax had murmured as they pulled to a stop in front of her home only five minutes later. He took note of the off-white popcorn walls of the outside, with the black roof to boot.

Marie smiled and swung a leg over to get off his Dyna. Her small hands shoved themselves into the pockets of her jacket. She gave him a shrug. "I didn't intend to stay _this_ late, remember?"

He nodded with a small grin. Jax had unclipped his helmet, letting it hang from one of the handlebars of his bike. "Right, you got _school_. Most people tend to stay away from that shit when they graduate, you know."

She heard his patronizing tone and rolled her eyes playfully, "Whatever. _Obviously_, I'm not most people."

When she heard his laughter, a wondrous bubbling sensation pooled in her gut. Monstrous butterflies and bees and all things that could fly seemed to waken as he continued to speak softly. His wide playful smirk turned into a softer grin when he moved to get off of his bike. "No, Em," he said softly. "You're not."

The pair had taken to following the concrete pathway to her front door, the motion-censored light brightening the entryway when they reached the foyer. Jax suddenly felt like some prepubescent teenager as he stood next to her while she fingered her house keys idly. Marie was looking down at her hands.

He didn't know what to do or say until Marie looked up at him with a gentle grin. "Thank you, Jackson, for taking me home tonight."

He raised a blonde brow. "Jackson?" he repeated. "Most people call me Jax."

"Does it bother you? Me calling you by your full name, I mean."

Seeing her worried expression, and hearing the concern in her voice, Jax shook his head. He liked it; hearing his name for another reason other than being in trouble. "No, it's fine. I don't mind."

The smile he was growing accustomed to seeing was on her face again. Decidedly, he liked seeing it there; in real life, and not just in his imagination. "Good," she retorted with a quick nod of her head. Marie finally moved to unlock her door and stepped inside, turning to face him while he stood a full foot taller than her. "Remember, I'm not like most people!" she reminded him with amusement.

Jax chuckled and looked down at her with a gentle stare. He took care to repeat himself slowly and quietly, "No darlin', you're not." She moved forward slightly, her gaze intent and fixed on his as he looked down at her. He saw her hesitate then pull back slightly, leaving him curious of what she _wanted_ to do. He groaned inwardly. If it were anything like he'd hoped, he would have been in trouble.

"Good night, Jackson," she whispered softly. He nodded and let out a small breath of air, fanning her face. He leaned in, eyes drifting from her gaze to the curve of her cheekbones, and the supple outline of her lips. When she didn't move away, Jax summoned up the rest of his courage and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"Good night, Em." When he pulled away Jax gave her a small smirk, and walked backwards to his bike, slipping on his helmet. He started up his Dyna with a wave from the woman at the door. He pulled out of her lot as she moved to close the door, the light from the entryway shutting off.

He hummed to himself as he sped passed his mother's house and headed straight to the clubhouse. Jax felt genuinely happy for the first time since Tara had left so long ago.

"Good night indeed."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Complete AU. You are all amazing; I hope you know that! Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! I hope you keep reading, and keep reviewing, following and all that good stuff. :)

* * *

Chapter 4: Not Fast Enough

She checked her outfit twice that day. And then three times the day before that. Even as she told herself it was a good choice for wear on her first day of school, she couldn't help but feel nervous. She remembered tugging on the three-quarter sleeves of the gray cardigan that was buttoned over a fitting plain purple tank top. She took in the dark wash jeans and the only pair of boots she took with her. She remembered looking into the mirror, a look of fierce determination on her face.

She was ready.

When Marie had made her way through the empty halls of Charming High School, she clutched her own backpack filled with her lesson plans and hand outs for the rest of the week.

She stood in front of the mahogany door labeled Principal's Office and knocked loudly, entering when she heard a voice boom from behind the closed door. "Come in!"

Pushing down her nerves, Marie turned the knob and pushed the door open, smiling at the young man behind the desk. He looked to be no older than thirty, black hair combed into a neat mop on top of his head. He had a strong jaw, she noted, high cheekbones and a nice set of pearly whites to boot. His blue eyes squinted slightly as he smiled at her.

Nothing compared to Jackson's though, she thought to herself. Feeling herself heat up at the cheeks, Marie brushed off the sudden thought of the biker and entered the room.

"Hi there," the man grinned brightly. He stood, his six-foot muscular stature hovering over her. Holding out his hand for her to shake, he continued to speak, "You must be Marie Romero. Really, it's wonderful to meet you. I'm sure you'll make a great addition to our team. I'm Leo Graves, the principal of CHS."

Marie nodded and reached for his hand, giving him a firm handshake, "I'm only grateful that you've allowed me to teach here. I really hadn't expected you to agree to having me teach over a Skype Interview, but I'm thankful nonetheless."

Leo nodded with a smirk, "Well, your attitude, and genuine desire to help the students made me and the rest of the board say yes in a heartbeat."

He had shoved one hand into the pocket of his pristine black slacks, stretching his arm out to give view of the watch hiding under the sleeve of his crisp plain blue dress shirt. Rolex, Marie noted with a raised brow. "It's 6:15AM right now, so we could take a tour of the school, perhaps even grab breakfast at the cafeteria afterwards. Contrary to the belief, our cafeteria food actually does not suck."

When she laughed whole-heartedly, Leo motioned her to walk out of the office first, holding the door open for her like a gentleman. With a grin, Marie waited for her boss to lead the way, her hands shoving themselves into the pockets of her gray cardigan. As they walked down the hallway first to her classroom, Marie felt calmness settle around her. Leo looked down and smiled at her as they turned a corner.

She was sure she'd enjoy teaching here.

* * *

When he trudged his way down the hall from the dorms to the clubhouse, Jax let himself smile as he remembered the simple conversations he had with Marie. He stretched lazily before moving to the bar, making himself a cup of coffee. He saw the clock and idly noted that it was only 10:36AM.

"Boy, you're up _real_ late this mornin'," Piney grunted as he took a seat next to Jax at the bar counter. With practiced ease, Piney reached over the counter to pull out a bottle of tequila. "Damn," the outlaw grunted. "Almost empty."

Jax grinned with a shake of his head, "Old Man," he baited. "Normal people drink coffee in the morning, not tequila or Samuel Adams."

Piney shrugged and poured himself a drink, frowning when he realized that the one shot glass emptied the bottle. "Normal people date nice women, not shove their dicks into any available hole."

Not caring for the stinging retort, Jax took a sip of his coffee. "Yeah, brother, but us outlaws don't deserve 'nice women'." A cloud of silence settled over the pair. Piney had reached behind the counter again, only to grab another empty bottle of tequila. Jax could only continue to drink his coffee idly, heaving a sigh every now and then.

Taking the time to assess the man next to him, Piney stood up to make himself coffee for the first time in years. He had poured the brew into a porcelain cup, adding sugar and cream to remove the bitterness. He saw how tired Jax looked—how much of a shell he had truly become.

Piney could count on one hand how many times Jax needed help, and even then he was never so exhausted. He was never so stressed out, and he was never so subdued. As a child, Jax was a leader; he was outspoken, tough, and brave. He was loud, friendly, and caring.

When he had met Tara, everyone seemed to know that the woman would break him. Everyone seemed to know that she wasn't cut out for the life of a SAMCRO old lady. She was too conscientious of what the world thought about her, when it didn't even care much for her existence.

When she left, she had taken every bit of life Jax ever had with her. He had become so dependent on her that he lost himself when he had to go without her. Recalling the way he warmed up quickly to Marie last night, Piney had to wonder if this man could take any more heartache. Letting out a sigh of his own, Piney gruffly called out to Jax.

"You're like a son to me, Jackson. And you may think that no one paid any attention to you last night, but you are very, very wrong. Opie, Chibs and I saw how Tig joking around with Marie made you angry. We all saw how you tried to avoid any contact with her through the night, and we all saw when you cracked and just let yourself _relax_. Son, I have nothing against that woman, but I really hope you know what you're getting yourself into. Last thing you need is another pussy to throw you off the rails."

Jax chuckled dryly, "Yeah, Piney, I get that."

Piney nodded, "What are you gonna _do_ about it?"

With a lazy shrug, Jax finished his coffee with one last swallow. He turned and leaned against the counter, facing the Chapel. "Don't know what I'm gonna do, or where this is gonna go. I'm not going to lie to you brother, talking with Marie made me feel normal. She's a nice girl, but…"

Remembering the weight of his words, the old man allowed himself to put his coffee down and rest a comforting hand on his surrogate son's shoulder. "Outlaws don't deserve 'nice women'."

Jax nodded sourly, "Yeah. Yeah, that's it."

After Piney finished his drink, he placed both cups in the sink behind him; the prospects would get to it later. Silence covered the pair again; only this time, Piney moved to head to the dorms for a shower. Just as he reached the corner, he turned to Jax.

"It's true," Piney started. "Bad men like us don't deserve nice women. It was even just one night. But Jackson, you are a good man, like your father; and I'll be damned if I see you end up with some trashy croweater as a wife. _If_ you decide to get with this young lady, you treat her right son, full disclosure and all. I'm sure she'll stay with you. She won't have any reason to leave if you do."

As Piney left the room, Jax couldn't help but wonder if the words his second father spoke, was some sort of hidden regret.

* * *

While Piney had left to do whatever it was he was going to do, Jax found himself sitting at the counter drinking another cup of coffee before heading back to his dorm room for a shower. Afterwards, he had put on a clean set of jeans; a blue faded SAMCRO t-shirt, and his white sneakers before heading out. While it had been cool last night, the California heat decided to visit early afternoon.

He didn't have a destination, not that he knew of anyway. At least, that was what he was telling himself. His stare was mostly concentrated on following the cracks in the cement, occasionally looking up to make sure he wasn't going to walk himself into a tree. He heaved a sign and raised a hand to wipe away the sweat that was beginning to form.

He was sweltering.

He only kept walking though, taking a left down one street, then a right at the next corner. He was headed nowhere in particular, and with the conversation with Piney replaying in his head; Jax came to realize how fitting and metaphoric his little walk really was.

Thinking back to the dinner last night, Jax could recall the smallest actions Marie had made, refreshing the memories of the dreams he had of her before. He could remember the way she'd scrunch her nose and squint her eyes in disgust when one of the guys would say something completely ridiculous. Or, he smiled to himself, the way she'd giggle and laugh when she caught the odd ends of the many conversations between Tig and Juice.

Jax could even recall the way she'd run her dainty hand through her hair, twirling a curl absentmindedly before letting her hand rest idly on her lap. He knew her for a few weeks in his dreams, with one night in reality, and he had no clue why it was happening to him in the first place.

Whether or not he needed someone to heal from the pain and tragedy that was Tara Knowles, Jax was never superstitious. He didn't believe in magic, and he didn't believe in fate.

But having an actual dream girl? Not even the coined term 'coincidence' could explain that one. He swallowed the pool of saliva that gathered at the back f his mouth when he made a left on the corner of 9th Avenue and Luisen Road. Suddenly finding himself under the cooling shade of an oak tree, he took the time to relax and enjoy the smallest of breezes that made its way through Charming.

He leaned calmly against the gate as he welcomed another breeze. As he looked around, it took him seconds to notice the familiarity that was etched into the streets. Jax heard the loud ringing bell, and pulled out his pre-paid slightly to note that all public schools were just about letting the students out for the day.

As students left the school, he wasn't sure what to do, so he just stayed where he was, looking off into the distance. Schoolgirls eager for the bad-boy to fall in love with them in an epic romance giggled, and pointed at him as they grouped together. He saw some walking across the streets, and then others teetering on the sidewalks all trying to get his attention. He shuddered inwardly; robbing the cradle was not something he was about to do.

He ignored the whispers, instead allowing himself to light up a cigarette and smoke in peace. He supposed, taking in a long drag of his miniature escape, that allowing his subconscious to lead him to the high school was a terrible idea. He mused, remembering the lightest giggles and bright-eyed smiles she shot to him last night. As he saw her head down the steps of the school, Jax grinned slightly. Perhaps this little random visit will actually be the best terrible idea he's ever had.

* * *

"I think I like it here so far," Marie commented loudly. Leo stood at the entrance of her classroom, watching her with a thoughtful stare. He smiled at her admittance.

"I'm glad that you do," he replied. Walking smoothly into the room to sit at the edge of her desk, Leo took in Marie's swift like movements, as if she were gliding across the room. He enjoyed the way she seemed to dance as she walked around, clearing off the lab tables in the back of the room, and straightening the desks. He took in her delightful curves, and the brown—almost black—hair combed neatly into a ponytail. He smiled brightly at her when she placed a stack of chemistry textbooks onto her already cluttered desk. He grinned, "Your first day and you're already swamped."

Marie gave him a grin and began to clear her desk, neatly fixing the worksheets she needed to grade. "The life of a teacher is never that easy," she said, tucking the papers into a manila folder before slipping it into her bag.

Leo shook his head, both of them walking to the exit, "No, it's not."

Like a gentleman, Leo walked head slightly, and then opened the door for her. She smiled gratefully, quietly accepting his small invitation to the parking lot. "Where there any students troubling you today?"

He knew there must have been—what with her body and voice and her in all, being the issue. Leo grinned when she laughed as she nodded. "You should have warned me that Andrew Mathis was a horn dog."

With a chuckle in response, they exited the building. "Just hormones of a teenaged boy, Ms. Marie," came the drawl. As they walked down the steps of the school entrance, he noted Marie stopped, staring not too far off by the gate. He frowned when he saw the tell tale blonde hair stopping at the shoulders. However, his frown deepened when he saw traces of a smile begin to form on his new companions' face. As Marie had taken to heading straight for the outlaw having at the door, Leo could only watch grimly.

It was always the bad boys who got the good girls.

Always.

* * *

"Hey," Jax grinned, putting out his cigarette. Marie returned his obvious joy. She came to a stop in front of him and tried to ignore the butterflies that seemed to gather at the pit of her stomach.

"Hey yourself," she bantered playfully. "What are you doing here?"

Marie watched as he shrugged his shoulders with a small tilt of his head. Jax gave her the truth, "Not sure, darlin'. Took a walk and just sorta' ended up here."

He waited with baited breath, watching her shift from one foot to the other, a small bead of sweat dripping down her neck to only slow at the dip of her collarbone. Under his gaze, Jax saw her blush more like a schoolgirl would as opposed to being the teacher.

He liked that he was able to make her blush with only a stare.

At his smug smile, Marie straightened herself. "Well _darling_," she mocked playfully. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you _knew_ you'd end up here."

She felt like she had to hold her breath. Such a bold statement, however, could only receive a lazy shrug and another smug grin.

"Whatever you say, babe," Jax chuckled. Inside, he was a mess though; whatever it was that was causing the verbal diarrhea (he was pretty sure it was her) was killing him. The nerves he felt doubled as he let the endearment slip, but faded just as quickly as they came when he got no rejection.

Instead, Marie gave him a coy smile and color flowing to her cheeks. Not giving her time to respond, Jax coughed slightly. "What do you say we get outta here? There's a diner down the street not to far from here that serves the _best_ root beer floats in town."

Marie turned to look over her shoulder, noting the frustrated look on Leo's face but she can't bring herself to care. With a wave to him, she turned to face Jax fully. A tug on the sleeve of his shirt made Jax grin. He pushed himself off of the fence and rest a thick hand against the small of her back.

He groaned as the sun hit his stature, making Marie laugh loudly at his pout. He lead her to her Impala, patiently waiting as she unlocked the doors.

"It's like a fuckin' _furnace_ out here!"

* * *

It was hot today.

She had the air conditioner on full blast in her apartment. The windows shut tight to keep the cool air in and the burning heat out. She heaved a sigh and tossed herself onto her bed, wrapping her arms around a pillow that smelled of stale cigarettes and beer.

Three weeks ago, she caught the eye of one man; one delicious, amazing, cute and sensitive man. She holed up with him, sharing joints, stories, and having what had to be the best sex of her life. There was something about him, about that man, which made it so easy to be with him. Maybe it was that wry smirk that he threw her way any time he took a swig from his beer. Maybe it was the way his rough, calloused hands gripped her hips and hands when she was near him. Or perhaps, it was the way he touched her.

She was a nightlife kind of girl. She liked the lights, the dancing, the heat from bodies and the scent of alcohol, smoke and sweat from bodies pressed up against each other. She liked being able to make her own choices. She liked being able to decide whether or not she'd take a hit that day, or the next, or really any time she wanted.

Idly, she wondered when the last time it was that she was able to do any of that; make a decision for herself, and only herself. She stared at her shaking hands, the veins and bones popping up slightly. What used to be tanned skin was now so pale and white. She chuckled to herself; she hadn't gone out in days, not since she found out.

She didn't know. All she knew was that she missed the _normalcy_ he gave her. She missed the simplicity that was he and her as they holed up at one of the dorm rooms, wrapping a blanket around their otherwise uncovered bodies. She missed him.

Yet, as she lay there in her stingy room, light barely making its way through her charcoal tattered curtains, she knew that would all change.

It had to change.

She also knew that she couldn't do any of it alone.

Blonde hair laid spread out across the pillow she kept close to her. Then, with a resigned sigh, she pushed herself off of the mattress. Grabbing a bag, she opened it and random drawers of her dresser. She grabbed anything; t-shirts, jeans that could still fit, and underwear. She filled a pocket with snacks and cash, the other with various pills she knew she needed.

When she was packed, enough, to her knowledge, she grabbed the pre-paid phone she kept with her. She gave a quivering breath as she dialed a number she had memorized. It only rang twice before a gruff voice came through the line in a sour greeting.

"Hey," the blonde huffed, zipping up the duffle bag, "I need a favor."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I don't own nothing, really, but the few OCs.

Thank you for all the support! You have no idea how much your comments, and your favorites/alerts/follows/allthatjazz means to me! :)

* * *

Chapter 5: Whisper

It wasn't a quiet night, nor was it a quiet day. Prior to sitting and eating at the dinner table, Marie had been quaking and nervous as she prepared dinner. She remembered her hands shaking as she placed the tray of brownies in the oven to bake. Marie had been a nervous wreck all day Sunday, wound up as she waited for her company to get there. Then, as she gazed at a pair of two gorgeous blue eyes, she felt calm, and worried and nervous all on a different level.

She snorted, trying to choke back the laughter as her dinner partner for the past week devoured his steak with moans and groans of delight in between. "Jesus, Jackson, you eat like a dying man."

Jax took the time to swallow before taking a drink of the red wine next to him. "Darlin'," he drawled. "Everyday you're living is a day you're dying. 'Sides, you can't ask me to contain myself around _your_ cooking."

With a roll of her eyes, Marie cut neatly into her own grinning as she chewed the piece of meat with more poise than the biker. A comforting silence hovered over the pair as they finished their dinner. It had been like that since the day he took her to the diner after school. They had taken their root beer floats, chatting mindlessly about her first class, then her second, and the way that Alex Walker had the nerve to flirt with her in front of the class.

She smiled to herself as she recalled the way a glint of jealousy and a whole lot of possessiveness overcame him as he yelped angrily, scolding her for not telling the principal about the kid's slight harassment against her. She could only laugh and pat his hand comfortingly as she brushed off the incident and chalked it all up to teenage hormones.

After the diner, she dropped him back off at the clubhouse, parting with only a kiss to the cheek, and a hug. They both tried to ignore the knowing looks and smug grin Queen Gemma had given them as she waved both of them into the lot.

Jax waved a hand in her face, startling Marie. She looked up at him, "Hmm?"

He shook his head and stood up; helping himself to the beer she kept stocked in her fridge just for him. "Nothin'. You just zoned out. What were you thinking 'bout?"

Marie shrugged and scooped some rice onto her fork, eating slowly. "Mm, nothing really. I just—don't you have moments where you just, stop?" She paused for a second, eyeing his curious, laid back stare before continuing, trying to make sense of her thoughts. "Like, everything. Stop talking, stop thinking, stop moving, and you're just there holding your breath when you don't have to? Do you?"

Jax smiled at her. "I get that. Kinda just take a break from everything, even when you don't need it."

Marie nodded and took a dainty sip from her wine glass. "Yeah, that's it. I just had to take a small time out. This week was a really, really good week."

He cleared his throat, leaning forward to rest his forearms against the edge of her black wooden dinner table. He smiled to himself as he took in what she said, all hidden explanations clearer to him than he had anticipated; the week with her was a really, really good week for him too. Jax rubbed his bottom lip thoughtfully before throwing the woman next to him a wide toothy grin. "This week _was_ a really, _really_ good week."

She felt herself blush, but accepted his repeated comment with ease. She heard every word he hadn't said.

He liked spending time with her too.

* * *

It was only a Monday, and Gemma was already wishing the week were over.

She spent her entire day trying to update the Teller-Morrow records, scanning files and receipts no more than a year old, then tossing the others into a filing box for one of the prospects to bring to the garage storage room for safe keeping.

When she looked at the clock she let out a long sigh and reached for the cup of lemonade she kept perched on the rusted metal she thought was an excuse for a desk. Deciding to take a much needed fifteen-minute break. When she looked out the door, she noticed lazily that her son brushed off the croweater that pressed a slender tanned hand against his chest as he leaned against his bike. She narrowed her eyes when the blonde batted her fake eyelashes; it was the same bitch that thought she could run _her_ dinner.

"No good porn pussy," Gemma huffed, choosing that moment to reach into her purse. She shuffled through it, before pulling out a cigarette box and a lighter. She lit it up, taking a puff and grinned.

Jax had nodded at Ima before he pushed himself off of the bike, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans before ignoring her and leaving the lot. She knew where he was going; he had been leaving around the same time, everyday for the past week. He never took his bike out when he left either.

Although he hadn't said a word to anyone about where he was going, it was clear to a handful of the Sons where it was he was actually going. Gemma toyed with the idea in her head.

She knew he was going to see Marie, and knew that the pair went somewhere after every school day for the past week. She liked the girl; she knew that Marie would be good for her son. She'd help him get over the doctor, help him stop dreaming, and help him become a better man.

She had thought back to her teasing him when she invited Marie to her dinner a week ago. She saw the way his eyes seemed to follow the girls every move. As much as she enjoyed teasing him about Marie and him dating, and as much as she knew the woman would be good to and for her son, she was wary about it all.

With the Mayans stealing their guns, and loading them up to Timbuktu and Kalamazoo, the club was reaching desperate shambles. She took another drag of her cigarette. She needed Jax to be focused. She needed her son to keep his mind steady and his opinions clear and cut on the idea of improving the club.

The club needed Jax. She loved Clay dearly, but she knew that with his arthritic hands, he wouldn't be riding in more than a few years; five at the most was left in him. Him dating the new girl in town would put a big red target on the back of the school teacher, making her worry for the safety of the club, of Jax and her newfound friend and daughter.

Gemma knew though, that she had to give the girl some credit. The woman was good; she could take care of herself, and although she seemed timid, she knew that Marie had a good backbone to boot. She was a strong and opinionated, and honest. Gemma knew that she could handle the club, and its secrets if she had to, if she was ever faced with the cold truth.

Lazily, she put out the dying bud of the cigarette, and watched as Ima crossed her arms angrily, glaring at the empty entrance of the Teller-Morrow lot that Jax had left only minutes before. Instead of following him though, Ima stomped back into the clubhouse only to leave a few minutes later with her sparkling purse in hand, and the keys to her silver Nissan.

Gemma smirked as she watched Ima peel out of the TM lot. Good riddance.

Marie was good for her son, she decided. And she would help them get together and stay together. Pulling Jax away from something he was attached to or even beginning to get attached to would be like slapping a sleeping, hungry tiger. Stupid, and bad news for everyone involved.

* * *

"Right on time," he chuckled as he watched his girl walk down the steps of the high school entrance. He kept his hands shoved in his pockets until she came to a stop in front of him. Marie rolled her eyes and raised a hand to push his shoulder slightly.

"Whatever," she grunted playfully, adjusting the shoulder strap of her bag. "At least I'm here!"

Jax let out a snort and swung a toned muscular arm over her shoulders, leading her to her car, like he always would. "Darlin' you could never ditch me."

As they neared the Impala, Marie had reached into her bag for her keys. She bumped her hip into his side playfully, Jax feigning hurt as he swayed only to laugh after. She pulled the keys out with a grin, unlocking the doors before he snatched them from her hand. He winked at her. "I'll drive today."

She raised a brow in curiosity while he shrugged in return. She rolled her eyes with a smile spreading easily across her face. He began to guide her into the passenger seat, holding the door open for her like a gentleman when they heard a loud call for her.

Brown hair fluttered over her shoulders as she turned to look over her shoulders to see Leo chasing after them slightly, his light blue tie fluttering around his neck as he ran. Jax frowned as the man flagged them down. He felt his frown deepen as he came to a stop in front of the pair, Marie reaching out to give a comforting pat to his forearm before slipping down. Before she could completely pull her hand away, Jax let his fingers lace around hers, pulling her into him and tucking her under the safety of his arm.

"Can I help you, Leo?" she questioned curiously, secretly ecstatic of the possessive and jealous emotions Jax was displaying openly. She moved to shut the car door after she placed her bag on the floor of the front seat, separating herself from his side. Just as quickly, Marie had reached out to him after, wrapping a slender arm around his waist, Jax moving his arm up her back and over her shoulder as he pulled her to him again. Leo frowned at the movement, but shook his head.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, running a hand through his shining locks. "If I could avoid this, I would but you're the last person I can ask."

She gave him a questioning glance. "Ask for?"

"I need someone to help out with the charity run that'll be on the grounds in a few weeks on Saturday. Perhaps you can man a booth or two. We need people at our table to help with the bake sale; a few people already dug out calling in sick. Do you think you could fill in the shift from 8 in the morning, to around 2 in the afternoon? I'd greatly appreciate it."

Jax frowned, not liking the idea of having even less time to spend with his newfound companion. Marie took no notice however, as she instead smiled and nodded her acceptance of the offer. Jax didn't like the way Leo grinned at her; the man just looked too happy. Clearing his throat, Jax tightened his grip around her waist, causing her to look up with a soft smile on her lips. "I'm sorry, Leo. This is Jackson Teller. Jax, this is Leo Graves—the school principal."

Both men took notice that she left out the status of the relationship. Jax felt like the man's grin got wider with the awkward denial of Jackson's status of boyfriend. Jax could only stand taller, pulling Marie as close as he could to him. He watched as the principal raised a thick, muscular hand. Jax took it with his own, giving a firm handshake.

"A pleasure to meet you, Jackson," Leo nodded, his monotonous tone of voice betraying the small smile on his lips.

Jax shrugged. _No, it's not_. "Yeah; you too. Taking care of my girl here while she's at your school?" Her chocolate colored eyes widened slightly before she moved to elbow him gently at his side.

"Jackson," she chastised, face alight with amusement. He raised a brow and looked down at her and winked before looking expectantly at Leo.

Leo frowned momentarily, before smiling. "Of course. Marie has been well taken care of."

She offered him a nod while Jax grunted. "I'd hope so."

"_Jax,_" she murmured, her free arm moving to pinch his toned sternum. "Knock it off. I'm sorry, Leo. Jackson can be…well—"

Leo, although looking grumpy, could only shake his head and smile at the woman before him. "Not at all," he started, "he's only making sure his woman has the best. Nothing wrong there." She smiled gratefully while the blonde haired man nodded begrudgingly. "Well," Leo said, faking his happiness. He eyed the arm that was wrapped around the current object of his affections with jealousy. "I suppose I should be letting you go then. Thank you again, Marie. You've definitely made my job a whole lot easier."

He had turned away from the pair with a beam that quickly turned into a grimace when his back was faced to them. He heard laughter and turned his head to the right to spare a glance over his shoulder, watching Jax usher Marie into the passenger seat, and close the door. He faced forward again.

The bad boys always get the good girls.

But this time?

This time he was determined to not let it happen.

* * *

"He's only jealous," Gemma laughed knowingly. Marie and Jax had gone to the Teller-Morrow home early that evening to have an impromptu dinner. Jax had dragged Clay to the backyard, the men assigned to making dinner while the women made desert. Gemma watched them through the glass sliding doors that lead out to the yard; she watched her son give Clay a slap on the back, a wide grin on his face as they talked about whatever it was they found interesting.

Marie and Gemma were in the kitchen, the women making a platter of brownies and cookies. The former had told the mother-like figure about her day, more centered on Jax's small outburst than anything else. "I know," Marie muttered with a small smile. "It's still a little messed up though; Leo's my boss. He wouldn't do anything."

The women had let silence settle over them, leaving Marie to her thoughts. She remembered how he had laid a claim to her. While Marie and Jax had been hanging out for at least a week, she knew that she didn't want to rush into anything. She was aware that the club was more or less a gang than it was a social call for Harley-bike enthusiasts. Marie recalled when he'd taken calls from the club during their dinner at times, walking away into another room. Her instincts were holding up warning signs and alarms that all but told her he was a part of something dangerous.

She cherished, though, that he seemed to put that all behind him when he was with her. As much as she liked him though, she couldn't help but be worried about what being with him meant—the constant fear, and paranoia of safety and fidelity? She shook her head as she mixed the nearly finished batter; her Jackson wouldn't do that to her.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Marie took a break from stirring the mix. She was so confused.

Gemma watched her with a critical eye, seeing emotions run rampant across her companion's face. As Marie poured the mix into the tray, Gemma began to speak. She wasn't entirely sure what she was going to say though.

"Jax is a good man," her voice started, sure and strong. "He's emotional, and he can be a hot headed jackass, but he's a good man. He's been hurt though; you know it. You can tell; the man is like a wounded animal—defensive. Do you know?"

Marie shook her head, "About?"

"Tara Knowles."

* * *

Later that night, after dinner, Jax had taken Marie home on his Dyna. He was pulling up at the small private lot and parked his bike next to her Impala. Steadily, Marie got off the bike, with the man following suit behind her.

He watched as she sighed, unclipping the helmet before. He didn't like the silence that engulfed them; it was different—not at all like the comfortable ones they've had before. He eyed her curiously as she handed him the helmet, leaning in to press a good night kiss to his scruffy cheek. "I suppose I'll see you tomorrow," Marie nodded thoughtfully, giving him only a slight smile.

He frowned. It didn't meet her eyes.

She had pulled back, her tan-colored fingers reaching out to pat the muscle of his arm before dropping back to her side. "Good night, Jackson."

He let her walk away from him, listening to her boots beat softly against the pavement before he called out quietly. "You been weird tonight. Quiet and all that; you all right, darlin'?"

He received a shrug. "As all right as I can be." When Jax didn't look the least bit convinced, Marie knew there was no getting around it, and no putting it to the side. She tilted her head towards the door. "Come in for coffee, or something?"

Jax gave a glance to the house shrouded in the night sky, "Sure."

He followed her into the house wordlessly, moving easily to take a seat at the island counter she had. Looking around for the small guard dog Marie owned he raised a brow when it hadn't come barreling down the hall like he was used to.

"Where's the dog?" he asked her. She laughed as she began to boil water.

"Next door; the neighbor's son is keeping her for a few days. Wants to prove to his parents that he can have a dog and take care of it."

Marie busied herself making the drinks for them while he waited patiently for an answer to a question he hadn't asked. She debated for a moment, turning the knob to the burner slowly. Preparing the cups, she snorted. There was no safe way to have a conversation of this like, without it being completely awkward.

She turned to face him, curious, and jealous as she thought about what she was going to ask. "Who's Tara?"

* * *

"Do you even feel guilty?"

The gruff, lazy drawl came from Clay as he trudged into bed with the intent to snuggle up to his wife. Gemma raised a perfectly shaped brow and tilted her head down. From her perch, she leaned against the mountains of pillows that were spread out neatly against the mahogany headboard. Clay moved to rest his head in her lap, letting a thick arm fall over her duvet-covered legs.

"Feel guilty for what?"

"Bein' a nosy-ass Ma, that's what," Clay grunted. Normally, he didn't give a rats ass about what new pussy his VP shoved his dick in. It was usually a croweater or some hang-around with a nice pair of tits and ass though. This time however, was different because it was Marie. He liked the girl—she was a spitfire, but she was also a young woman that could very well be another distraction.

He didn't need is second-in-command so far chasing tail that he wasn't able to take up his own duty. He noticed that in the past week Jax had spent quite a lot of time around the teacher, picking her up after school, and hanging out at dinner. The club needed its VP, and he was sure, so sure that Marie could do something that Tara was never able to do.

It was only a week, but the way Jax had dedicated himself to her unknowingly, and so naturally, raised the hairs on the back of his neck. He was surprised that Gemma wasn't pushing them away from each other, but to. He shook his head and sighed, as Gemma ran a hand through his hair comfortingly, noting the stress that he carried on the weight of his shoulders.

Thinking that Clay was only trying to help Jax by keeping her out of his affairs, Gemma cooed. "I'm a mother, baby. And momma's don't have to feel guilty trying to set up their sons with a good woman."

Clay grunted and stayed quiet. He saw what she didn't.

Marie could get Jax to leave SAMCRO.

* * *

He sat there, swallowing the pool of saliva that gathered in his mouth before letting out a shaky sigh. He really hadn't expected to be having this talk only a week into—well, whatever it was that they were.

Marie sat across from him, her dainty fingers circling the warm cup of chocolate she made herself instead of the coffee she'd given Jax. "I don't expect you to go into a _lot_ of detail; I can understand that this is a touchy subject."

He rolled his eyes in ire and his jaw locked. He looked around the room, glaring at the kitchen knives that sat neatly in its holder next to the kitchen window, under one of the many cherry-wood cupboards that lined the kitchen. He glared at the otherwise bare granite counters and the pristine sink that occupied the room. He looked into her eyes though, her curious doe-brown eyes. He couldn't glare at her. Not at her.

He knew that it was better to talk about this subject now rather than later. _Full disclosure_, he thought, recalling the words Piney had instilled in him not to long ago regarding the beautiful young woman before him. She deserved to hear it; and he knew that he'd need to come clean about everything else as well.

If they were going to be whatever it was they were going to be, he knew he had to do this. _No more running_, he told himself. _Full disclosure._

Jax felt his shoulders sag in what had to be exhaustion and hurt, recalling who and what Tara Knowles had meant to him. Marie stayed quiet, watching him avoid her steady and strong gaze. She was startled slightly when she heard him clear his throat.

"How'd you find out about her?" he asked her, needing to know which brother to kick in the ass for digging him what may as well have been an early grave. Marie smiled slightly and took a sip of her drink.

"Mother Gemma," she countered. "Momma Bear was protecting you today. We were talking about how Leo made you jealous—"

"Fuck if I was!" Jax huffed, red painting his white cheeks. Marie grinned cheekily and raised a hand to rub his goatee affectionately.

"Yeah, you were," she chortled before continuing. "But then Gemma began to talk about how you were hurt. You were just a good, but wounded, man. She asked me if I knew about Tara."

Jax sighed and reached out to grab her small hand, cradling it in his rough calloused one. "She means nothing to me now," he murmured, running the side of his thumb over her knuckles. "Ain't nothing to me now, babe."

She smiled at him, at his light-hearted endearment. She couldn't help but notice the wide berth of his statement though, hearing everything he hadn't said. "She meant a lot to you though, huh?"

He conceded, pulling his hand back to rub his gruff chin. "Meant too much, darlin'." He had paused, allowing her to think about his statement before mustering all the strength he could. "Do you want to know? Everything?"

She blinked at him, and nodded.

She knew that whatever he was going to say, whatever he wanted to say, went beyond just Tara Knowles and the damage she did to him.

He chuckled softly, and stood up, taking his and her cup to the sink before guiding her to her living room. He sat down on the couch, the seat sinking with his weight. Pulling Marie to his side, Jax wrapped his arm around her, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Where do you want me to start?"

"From the beginning," she whispered, leaning her head against his chest. She closed her eyes, focusing on his calming heartbeat. Jax sighed.

"It's a long story," he warned. Marie shrugged and turned to look up at him, staring into his ocean blue eyes.

Giving him an encouraging smile, she pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of his lips. "We have nothing but time, _darling._"

* * *

"You're joking, right? Like, seriously, you _have to be_ joking."

Drew Connor, prospect of the SAMTAC charter questioned, running his hands through the small curls of his head. He watched as the croweater rolled her eyes and took a bite out of the cheeseburger they had picked up from a McDonald's on the way to Southern California. They had been traveling for two days now, constantly stopping to feed and rest. Wendy Case swallowed the giant bite and reached to take a drink of her soda. "Dead serious, prospect. He's the father."

Drew nearly whimpered. Inside, he was weeping and wallowing, just because he knew he was screwed.

When he agreed to take her down to the SAMCRO charter, all he knew was that she was pregnant and the father of the baby needed to take care of her. All he knew was that the man had come down on a run not to long ago, but he wasn't sure whom. He asked Lief if he was allowed to take her down and all the robust man told him was to get the bitch out of the clubhouse and to do it fast. For someone who dragged the bitch here, he certainly didn't care about her at all.

Drew let out a nasty groan and began to pull at his hair. "You're fucking _insane_, do you know that? What _happens_ on a run stays on a fucking run!"

Wendy rolled her eyes and continued to eat her burger, ignoring the panicking man beside her. What was she supposed to do? When she found out she was pregnant the last thing she wanted to do was ask for help from anyone. But she couldn't handle the amounting doctors bills' and fees for everything else.

She knew it, and it was not something she (or anyone for that matter) would ever be proud of, but she could barely take care of herself!

She watched Drew pace, and didn't feel an ounce of guilt for the strain she was putting him through. She knew that the men of SAMCRO could beat him within an inch of his life for dragging around that woman into the original county lines. E was breaking one of the most important and luxurious rules a Son could have. Runs meant cheating and not being able to get caught. If this Son had a wife, or some other bitch on his arm, Drew was as good as dead.

She stood to throw away her trash, and situated herself back onto the bike. Drew begrudgingly saddled back over his Roadster and angrily started the engine. "Fucking crazy bitch," he muttered as he slowly pulled out of the lot of McDonald's. "Gonna get me killed."

Wendy ignored him though.

Instead, she focused on the fact that she was going to see Jax Teller, and although she was worried about seeing him again, she couldn't help but feel happy. He hadn't so much as looked at another woman when he was with her in Tacoma, and he hadn't bothered taking another woman with him to bed either. He liked her, and she could feel it.

Wendy sighed.

Perhaps, this was a chance for a good start for a new life. A home, a family; man and wife and child…

She smiled, wrapping her arms tighter around the angry biker she hitched a ride with. Just maybe, things would work out for her, just once.

* * *

She didn't know how to accept what he was saying, but she knew she had no other choice. Marie took a deep breath, wrapping her arms tighter around Jax's fit and toned midsection.

"She left you?" she echoed softly, not bothering to look up at his face. She relished in the touch of his hands weaving their way through her brunette strands. "And you just let her?"

He huffed, and she could feel his chest puff out slightly in frustration. "I didn't just _let_ her. She didn't give me the chance; when I wanted to talk about it more, she just up and left."

There was no sound in her house. It was quiet, and the only source of light came from the kitchen where they were earlier. She tried to take in every single thing he said.

Tara had gotten accepted in to college, and left Jax. Jax was a part of a motorcycle club under the pretense of being Harley enthusiasts, and was actually gunrunning. She snorted. Well, they were gunrunning up until some Mayan's decided to take every bit of their merchandise. They were still trying to get their current buyers to wait and let them rebuild their franchise again, but they didn't know how long they could wait.

That was all it was in a nutshell. She shuddered inwardly, incapable of thinking of her Jackson as a man who was able to kill with intent. "Why did you tell me about the club?" she asked him. She felt him tense under her, but only held onto him tighter, rubbing the side of her face onto his chest comfortingly. Jax kissed the top of her forehead.

"Full disclosure," he mumbled. "If I want us to work, and good _God_ do I want us to work, I've got to tell you everything. SAMCRO is dangerous," he warned her. He let the fact sink in, waiting for her to pull away or reject him. Yet, when he received none, he continued, his raspy low voice flowing gently through her ears. "We're dangerous, but we don't kill without reason. _I_ don't kill without reason. I'm a bad man, darlin'. I can understand if you don't want this anymore, but I can't lie to you. I can't tell you _nothing_, and expect you to understand everything because of it."

Marie felt her heart jump through her throat and back down to her stomach, beating quickly and wildly. Jax gave her no time to reply as he kept going, however, his grip seemingly tighter than before. "I like you, Em. I really, _really_ like you. Tara has nothing to do with me anymore, and I want nothing to do with her. You're not a rebound. You're more than that. And I'm telling you about SAMCRO because I _am_ SAMCRO; I _bleed_ SAMCRO. I need you to know that I'm always going to be with or dealing with something about the club. I need you to know now that I'm not a monster. I'm not. I need you to know everything because if you know _nothing_ then we can never work out."

She stayed quiet for some time, letting his words of affection; worry and fear stretch its way through her system and mind, clouding every single thought. He liked her, and she knew without a doubt that she felt the same. She knew that at some point, her Jackson was going to be dealing with club things that could change him, or hurt him, or break him. And she knew that in his own subtle way, he was asking her to be there for him, to help him so that if he does change, it's for the better. If he does get hurt, she'll bandage him up; and if he _does _break, she'll pick up the pieces.

And she'll fix him. She hummed, and nodded, pressing a small hand to his chest. He wrapped his hand around hers, and raised it to press a kiss to her fingertips before rubbing soothing circles onto her palm. "Tara," she started softly but bravely. "You didn't tell her everything?"

He grunted. "Didn't tell her much; just that we did bad things. She didn't know how deep I was into SAMCRO, but she wanted me to change. She wanted a safer life, and a better one and I couldn't give that to her. I'm a drop out, babe. Hated school then, and I hate school now." With a dead chuckle, Jax moved so he situated himself more comfortably against the couch. His back was getting stiff. "I don't understand how you'd want to go back to school to _teach_ a bunch of bratty hormonal kids."

She swatted him on the chest, light laughter filling the tense air around them, alleviating some of the stress. "Stop," she scowled playfully. She turned to look up at him, watching him grin and wink at her, before pressing a kiss to her cheek. "That's horrible," she huffed quietly. Marie had shifted to sit up next to him, and took his face into her hands. She pressed a palm against each cheek, forcing him to keep a steady gaze. She smiled and pressed a kiss to his forehead, then his nose, and then his lips. Pulling back she nodded at him. "You're not a monster," she acknowledged. She continued to cradle his face. " You're just a good, but _wounded_, man."

Jax stilled himself, recalling the phrase from their conversation in the kitchen. "Will you stay?" he asked her, pulling her closer to him. His front pressed against her front.

Jax frowned when she didn't answer. He felt his heart beat faster with every second she didn't speak.

Marie smiled and moved a delicate hand from his cheek to trace the edge of his lip with a soft fingertip. She pressed a kiss to his lips again before pushing away.

As they stared into each other's eyes, they knew that the conversation was far from over. But it was a good start.

It was a really, really good start.

She moved first; standing slowly, she tugged her shirt down as it had ridden up slightly. She reached forward and pulled his hand, leading him to her bedroom. Jax slipped his shirt off, and kicked off his shoes as neatly as he could before tugging his jeans off. He crawled into her bed, watching as Marie disappeared into the bathroom with a handful of clothes only to return moments later in just a simple t-shirt and shorts. He tugged her to him when she was done tossing her laundry into the basket in the corner.

They cuddled under the warm duvet, the cool air from the outside bothering them none. He wrapped his arms around her again, securing her snug at his side. Jax toyed with a strand of her hair.

"Will you stay?"

He couldn't really see her smile, but as he felt her cheeks widen against his firm and taut chest, he knew that she was. Marie nodded at his side, pressing a soft kiss to his bare chest.

"For as long as you'll let me."


End file.
